Kids’ Chance of America Celebrates Kids’ Chance Week 2026, Putting Students’ Stories at the Center of a Movement Built on Second Chances 

Nationwide network of 50 state organizations awarded 769 scholarships and nearly $4 million to students affected by workplace tragedies this year, bringing lifetime support to more than $46 million since 1988 

Tampa, FL  — Nayeli Román was still a child when her father was critically injured on the job. As the second oldest of five children, she had no idea how her family could afford to survive, let alone how she would go to college – until she found Kids’ Chance of America (KCOA), a nationwide network of nonprofits that provides scholarships and support to students whose parent was seriously or fatally injured on the job. 

With scholarship support from KCOA, Nayeli earned a double bachelor’s degree. Today she works for County government and performs across the Bay Area. Two of her brothers have since become Kids’ Chance scholars as well. 

Nayeli’s story is one of many being shared this week as KCOA and its 50 state organizations mark Kids’ Chance Week, October 12–16, 2026. 

In the 2025–2026 academic year, Kids’ Chance organizations nationwide awarded 769 scholarships and allocated $3,946,266 directly to students affected by workplace tragedies. That brings the network’s cumulative impact since its founding in 1988 to more than 12,000 scholarships and over $46 million awarded to students in all 50 states. 

“Behind every one of those scholarships is a young person whose life was upended by something entirely outside their control,” said Chris Letsos, CEO of Kids’ Chance of America, whose father also experienced a tragic workplace injury when he was a child. “What we’ve learned over nearly four decades is that a scholarship does more than pay for tuition: it tells a student their future still belongs to them. Stories like Nayeli’s are why we do this work.” 

Nayeli is one of three 2026 Kids’ Chance National Ambassadors. Each is proof of what educational opportunities make possible.   

Tailah Jeanty was in sixth grade when her mother, a hospice nurse, suffered a debilitating back injury lifting a patient, leaving her unable to work. Tailah graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina Central University in 2025 with a degree in criminal justice and is now studying for the LSAT on her way to becoming a criminal defense attorney, and, eventually, a judge.  

Bailey Burchett lost her father to a workplace incident the summer before her senior year of college. With Kids’ Chance support, she completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Kansas School of Business and later earned her MBA. Today she is a Senior Business Intelligence Developer in Chicago.  

“When your parent is catastrophically injured or killed at work, education is the last thing on your mind,” said Jayden Lapin, Director of Communications and Development for KCOA and a Kids’ Chance scholarship recipient. “My own experience with Kids’ Chance showed me that while a workplace tragedy can change a family’s circumstances, it does not have to determine a child's future. Over the past decade, Kids’ Chance has provided me with so much more than just a scholarship. Now, I’m proud to work alongside the next generation of students and provide them what this organization gave me: not simply financial support, but opportunity, connection and the belief that their future is still possible.” 

Kids’ Chance is also using the week to reach the professionals most likely to encounter a family in crisis, such as claims professionals, third-party administrators, carriers, attorneys, nurse case managers and employers, who are often the first to learn a child may be eligible for support. The organization’s Planning for the Future program, which identifies and supports children affected by a parent’s workplace injury or death long before they reach college age, received 410 referrals in the past year, a 106% increase over the previous year, a sign that more families and professionals are learning help exists earlier in a child’s life. 

“If you work in workers’ compensation, you may be the first person who can connect a family to educational opportunity. That referral can change the entire course of a child’s life,” added Letsos.   

For more information about Kids’ Chance Week, to find a state organization or to make a donation, visit kidschance.org.  

About Kids’ Chance of America  

Kids’ Chance of America powers a 50-state non-profit network that provides scholarships to kids of critically and fatally injured workers—because we believe every child deserves a chance for a brighter future. Since its inception, Kids’ Chance has awarded more than 11,000 scholarships totaling over $46 million to students across the country. 

Media Contact: 

Jayden Lapin 

Director of Communications and Development 

Kids’ Chance of America 

jayden.lapin@kidschance.org 

Note to editors: Jayden Lapin, Director of Communications, is a Kids’ Chance scholarship recipient and is available for interview to speak firsthand to the long-term impact of the program. National Ambassadors Nayeli Román, Tailah Jeanty and Bailey Burchett are also available for interviews upon request. 

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